A day in the life of a Jets quarterback controversy began shortly before 9 a.m. Wednesday on the CNBC talk show “Squawk Box,” where team owner Woody Johnson was asked if he planned to bring Tim Tebow back next season.

“Will we keep Tebow? Absolutely,” Johnson said. “He’ll be with us for three years (the life of his contract), and I think he’s going to be a real valuable asset in terms of helping us win games.”

Johnson displayed confidence in starter Mark Sanchez by saying he’s that good, and has the same promise and potential he did as a rookie in 2009. He did say, however, “Never is a long, long time period,” when asked if he would never change his mind.

By 1:10 p.m., it was coach Rex Ryan’s turn to comment, at his daily press briefing. Again, there was confidence for Sanchez but perhaps not as much as there has been in the past.

In November of last year, Ryan said Sanchez would be the starter as long as he was coach, which he hoped would be a long time.

Wednesday, when asked why he wouldn’t commit to Sanchez as the starter for the entire season, he said: “I’m not going to deal in what-ifs. I’m telling you right now, he’s our starting quarterback this week barring injury, and things happen. But I feel really confident in Mark and you’re right, I’ve never wavered on that.”

Then 5 p.m. rolled around, roughly the time both quarterbacks spoke in the locker room, and another day came full circle in the lives of two players who cannot escape headlines. One was confident he would keep his job, the other was content with the one he had.

If all holds true with Johnson’s words, the Sanchez/Tebow experiment is now five regular-season weeks into a journey that will last a minimum of 48.

“I don’t get into that,” Sanchez said of the difference between Ryan’s statements last year and his statements Wednesday. “I’m just going to keep playing and playing hard and give this team my very best and try to get the best out of them. So that’s where my head is at.”

Sanchez said he doesn’t feel hamstrung by the talent he has and is proud of the way his receivers have put in extra work to make up for crippling injuries. He insists he doesn’t watch ESPN or any network where his life cycle as an NFL quarterback is constantly a topic of speculation, and that being around Tebow is easy.

He seemed upbeat, happy even, when asked about two more years together in the current situation.

Tebow said if he only gets eight plays a week, he would try to make them the best eight plays he can. He was only frustrated by not scoring inside the 10-yard line Monday and not by his lack of opportunities to do so.

He then half-answered a question about whether or not he could stomach another 2½ seasons coming on and off the field at a moment’s notice for just a handful of snaps.

“You never know what’s going to happen in the future so I’m not going to be someone that looks at the future and says this is what it’s going to be,” he said. “I’m going to take every day in stride and try to make the most out of every single day.”

At 5:26, a day in the life was nearly over as Tebow looked up while untying his cleats and saw the time on the LCD clock hanging above. The special teams meeting, the one quarterbacks elsewhere would not have to attend, would begin in four minutes.

He quickly finished at his locker and scurried out. For another day, he seemed happy, too.